


The Holiday

by tobeconspicuous



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Holiday Fusion, Douglas the dog, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Making decisions while drunk, Rita is a boss friend, Romantic Comedy, Staten Island Blues, What am I doing, When Did that Happen, drunk Sonny, now there is smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-08 16:15:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12868278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobeconspicuous/pseuds/tobeconspicuous
Summary: “Fine, sign me up.”“Pardon?” Rita couldn’t quite believe the words that fell from her friend’s mouth.Rafael gestured to his laptop before he picked up his glass. “Now, before I sober up and change my mind.”“To Staten Island,” Rita raised her scotch with a refined cackle.Rafael clinked his glass against Rita's before he gulped down the rest of his scotch.“Staten Island.”





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on the RomCom _The Holiday_ , and I do mean loosely. 
> 
> Many thanks to Robin Hood (Kjack89) for their wonderful support for acting as a beta for this fic. All the good bits, can be attributed to them. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.
> 
> This entire chapter is exposition and set up. There will be four parts, the next one will be posted next week.
> 
> If you recognise a line it's probably not mine. I do not own, only enjoy, and I hope you do to. Feedback is very much appreciated.

Rafael Barba never believed in love.

He had grown up with warring parents who used pointed words as barbs designed to cause the most damage to a person. As a teenager he believed himself in love with powerful women — Lauren Sullivan, Yelina López, he thought he loved them all. As an adult, he found his tastes swinging towards powerful men, rich men who would buy him anything his heart desired before discarding him for a younger model.

As he approached his late thirties he wanted stability, and he started looking for someone to settle down with, to grow old with. That was when he met James Farrer, a kind man with dark hair and darker eyes who looked at Rafael as though he hung the moon. Things with James were easy, but Rafael worked long hours and the young man had started to hint at wanting more.

One evening when he was having drinks with Olivia, Rafael discovered his boyfriend cuddled up to a handsome man with blond hair. A handsome, much _younger_ man. Rafael took a picture then calmly returned to his conversation Olivia, planning to confront his partner the next time they saw each other.

Rafael didn’t have to wait long.

Only a day later James waltzed through his front door as though nothing was wrong. He walked up behind Rafael and placed a kiss on the older man’s neck.

“Afternoon love,” he mumbled into Rafael’s neck. “How have you been?”

“Busy.” Rafael kept his answer short as he tried to keep his anger at James’ nonchalance in check.

James pressed another kiss into Rafael’s shoulder. “Work stressing you out?”

“On the contrary,” Rafael began as he maneuvered himself to face his boyfriend. “I had a lovely drink with Olivia at Forlini’s last night. You wouldn’t believe what I saw.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it and pulled the picture up. “Are you cheating on me?”

“What!? No!” James took a step back.

Rafael felt his temper flare, since he knew that James was lying. Rafael shoved the picture he snapped the night before in James’ face. He watched as confusion fluttered across his boyfriend's face, before quickly turning to anger.

“You were following me?” His voice was cold, harsh.

Rafael laughed bitterly before he continued, “I was having a drink with Liv.” He put his phone away. “Now I’ll ask you again, are you cheating on me?”

“This is why we never moved in together,” James groaned.

Rafael cocked a brow. “I thought we agreed to take things slowly.”

“Slowly yes, not glacial.” The young man scowled. “We haven’t had sex for a month!”

“No one has time for sex,” Rafael’s tone was cool.

James turned bright red. “Well-”

“Get out.” Rafael snapped, pointing to the door.

"Oh come on Rafael,” James sighed, as he collected his things. “It’s not as though this wasn’t coming-”

“If you weren’t happy you should have left,” Rafael scowled. “No one wants to be cheated on.”

“Maybe if you’d-”

“No.” Rafael shoved him out the door before slamming it behind him.

He heard James shout through the door. “What about my stuff?”

“Send a friend over with mine and I’ll give them yours,” Rafael yelled back, secretly glad to be rid of the assorted items which had accumulated around his apartment.

He stormed over to his liquor cabinet and flung open the glass door, wincing as it smacked into the wall. Luckily it didn’t break. He scoured the various bottles of scotch within before landing on a bottle of Macallan 12 year. He grabbed a scotch glass, opened the bottle and poured himself three fingers. He then pulled out his phone and dialed.

“This better be important Rafael.” Rita’s voice was harsh as always. “I’ve just gotten home and am about to make myself a drink.”

“James cheated on me and I’m about to drown myself in scotch.” Rafael knew his friend well.

An hour later Rita was waltzing through his door with a bottle of scotch in hand. “I bought break up scotch.”

“Clan MacGregor, Rita?” he scoffed as he eyed the bottle warily. “I thought you had taste.”

"With as fast as you'll be drinking it, I wasn't planning on spending more than $20," she returned evenly. "Not when you won't even notice the difference after the third glass."

As it turned out, Rita was right.

—

Gina Carisi always believed that she was an expert in all things love related.

As a teenager she had fallen in and out of love more times than she could remember. She found that everything ever written about love to be true, from Shakespeare to Byron she devoured sonnets and poetry. With each heartbreak her mother held her, called her a hopeless romantic and told her one day she would meet her perfect match.

However it wasn't until Gina met Robert Allan that her feelings on love truly began to change. He wasn’t classically handsome, with brown hair and caramel eyes. It was his smile that drew Gina towards him, it lit up his whole face and took her breath away.

With Robert she didn't fall hard and fast. It had slowly crept up on her until she realised that she was passionately in love with the man. When Robert had gotten down on his knee and proposed to her Gina said yes with absolutely no hesitation. She was twenty-three and ready to be married.

Twelve months later Robert broke her heart: he decided that they were too young to get married. At first Gina didn’t want anything to do with him, but within weeks he had wormed his way back into her heart and soon they were living together. When Robert proposed a second time Gina knew it was going to stick, the same with the third time, and the fourth. With each heart break Gina lost hope, and with each reunion it sparked again.

One February evening everything changed. Gina found out Robert had cheated on her. She caught him in their bed with one of her colleagues. Even so Gina was willing to forgive him, because she stubbornly believed that that's what love was, forgiving someone no matter how much they hurt you. It was Robert who broke their engagement and it was Gina who decided they should remain friends.

So they continued to talk, via text, email, over the phone. They even shared the odd lunch together when Robert’s new girlfriend was out of town. Gina knew she should stop talking to him, that it was wrong. How could she though, when each and every smile he sent her breathed hope into every fiber of her being?

It wasn't until her school's Christmas play when things finally came crashing down on Gina. She and Robert had met earlier, to exchange gifts before walking together to the school. As they walked along the busy streets their shoulders bumped together. With each nudge and every touch Gina felt elated, and she didn’t want their walk to end. When they finally reached the entrance, they hugged each other goodbye and Robert kissed her cheek and Gina felt that maybe things between them would work out.

She hadn’t planned for there to be an announcement after the students and their parents had left. She definitely hadn’t expected Robert to be invited onto the stage, dragging his girlfriend with him. And when the love of her life got down on one knee and asked her colleague to marry him, Gina felt her heart shatter into thousands of tiny pieces.

Gina snuck out the back of the hall, and she held back tears as she made her way home. As soon as she entered her tiny little home she called her elder sister and sobbed down the phone at her. Thirty minutes later Teresa was there, a true Carisi with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had several bottles of wine in hand, ready to help console her younger sister.

“I am so sorry Gina,” Teresa said as she enveloped Gina in a hug.

Gina sobbed into her sister's shoulder for what felt like an age before the two broke apart and Teresa went in search of glasses for the wine. After several drinks the sisters found themselves on the couch and Gina just couldn’t keep it in any longer. “I don’t understand, Teresa, am I ugly?”

“Of course not,” Teresa soothed as she topped up Gina’s wineglass.

Gina quickly drained her glass and slammed it down on the table. “Then what’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t he want me?”

“Because he’s an ass,” Teresa rolled her eyes. “None of us liked him.”

“Why didn’t any of you tell me?” Gina huffed as she thrust her empty glass at her sister.

“I’m pretty sure Sonny had a few choice words,” Teresa laughed.

Gina couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Like Sonny can talk, he’s had the worst luck with women.”

“And men.”

“But he’s our little brother,” the words came to Gina easily, she knew exactly what her sister would say next.

Teresa followed suit. “Just because he’s a detective-”

“-doesn’t mean he gets to investigate our lives.”

This time both Teresa and Gina found themselves howling with laughter, the wine had definitely caught up with them. The old bad joke made all the more funny when they pictured their brother red faced, rolling his eyes at them. All too soon the mood turned somber again, and Teresa wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulder.

“We all thought you were crazy, G,” Teresa murmured into her sister's hair. “When a guy cheats on you you're supposed to get angry, not agree to remain friends.”

“I was head over heals,” Gina’s voice shook, her heart aching. “I still am.”

“Did he ever tell you he loved you back?” Teresa questioned.

Gina racked her brain. “He did propose-”

“Did he ever say the words?” Her older sister already knew the answer.

“No, But I knew he loved me-” Gina paused when she saw the obvious look of disbelief on her sister's face. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “He didn’t did he? I really thought he was the one Teresa.”

Teresa pressed a gentle kiss to her sisters temple. “I know.”

“I've loved him for ten years,” Gina continued to sob. “We've shared Christmas', birthdays, weddings-”

“I know.”

Gina couldn’t help the words that fell from her mouth. “Even though he had broken our engagement again I felt that we were really making headway.”

“Gina-”

“No, please don't,” she interrupted.

Teresa sat up, grabbed her sister and looked her straight in the eye. “You'll find someone who deserves you, Gina.”

Gina only nodded in false agreement, though in reality she didn't believe it would ever happen for her.

–

It had been two weeks since he and James had broken up yet Rafael still found himself struggling to get over him. He hadn’t seen the man since, he had returned all of James’ possessions, and yet he still felt a hole in his life where the man had been.

And that was how Rafael found himself spending yet another evening drinking with his closest friend. Even though the woman looked bored out of her mind, he found himself repeatedly telling Rita, in detail, everything wrong with his ex. From the way he hogged the blankets to how he would leave hairs all over the bathroom.

Rita just rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you’re so upset. It’s not as though you particularly liked him.”

“That’s only starting to dawn on me,” Rafael said as he sipped at his scotch.

Rita shook with laughter. “Trevor and I never liked him anyway.”

“Of course not.” Rafael glared at her. “Name one of my exes you actually liked.”

“Touché,” Rita grinned. “So what’ll you do now?”

Rafael traced the rim of his glass. “Something different. I want to read something that's not work-related or a newspaper. I haven’t sat down and read an actual book in years.”

“Do something different then,” Rita finished off her scotch then slammed the empty glass on the table in front of her. “Remember when Trevor and Sam went on vacation last year? They swapped houses with a nice family from Todt Hill.”

“Does that sound at all like something I would do?” the prosecutor groaned as he slumped back into the couch.

Rita just shrugged. “Something different, remember?”

“It’s too close to Christmas for me to take time off work, where could I go that’s exotic but I could still travel to work?” Rafael humoured his friend as he raised his glass to drink.

He regretted it when he saw the look in his friend's eye. “Staten Island.”

“Staten Island?” Rafael spluttered into his scotch. “I said exotic.”

Rita just laughed. “Just think about it.”

“You can’t be serious,” Rafael muttered. “You don’t even look serious about it.”

The defense attorney collected herself as best she could. “Why not? It means if you really need to you can commute to work, see your mother-”

Rafael winced, as much as he loved her he did not want his mother's thoughts on yet another break up. “You're definitely not selling this”

“When was the last time you did something out of your comfort zone?” Rita questioned her friend.

“I’m nearing forty, not thirty,” Rafael muttered as he rolled his eyes.

“What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Rita continued to press as she poured more scotch. “You spend a day, decide it’s not for you then go home.”

“That’s the most likely outcome,” Rafael said with a sigh. “Fine, sign me up.”

“Pardon?” Rita couldn’t quite believe the words that fell from her friend’s mouth.

Rafael gestured to his laptop before he picked up his glass. “Now, before I sober up and change my mind.”

“To Staten Island,” Rita raised her scotch with a refined cackle.

Rafael clinked his glass against Rita's before he gulped down the rest of his scotch.

“Staten Island.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Robin Hood (Kjack89) & AHumanFemale for their wonderful support for acting as betas for this fic. All the good bits, can be attributed to them. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone.
> 
> Extra thanks to Robin for helping me with Drunk Sonny. I hope this chapter helps soothe the ache.
> 
> If you recognise a line it's probably not mine. I do not own, only enjoy, and I hope you do to. Feedback is very much appreciated.

Gina had listed her home on the website on a whim. When she received the notification that someone was actually interested in her little house she couldn’t believe it. The person had left nothing but a contact number and an invitation to call them if they wanted to proceed with the home exchange. With no other information provided Gina clicked out of the notification and told herself not to dwell on it again.

Several days later she logged back on, curious about the owner of the unknown number. Curiosity was what lead Gina to actually dial the mysterious person, anxious to discover what kind of person just left their phone number on a home swap site. As the phone rang she steeled her nerves, after all if she didn’t like the person she could always decline. After what seemed like an age, the call connected.

“Barba,” a masculine voice answered.

“Uh hi,” Gina winced at her awkward attempt at conversation. “You left your contact details on my home exchange page.” There was silence on the other end. “In Staten Island?”

“Rita,” the man, Barba, groaned on the other side of the phone.

Gina wasn’t sure how to proceed. “Sorry?”

“My friend Rita,” Barba continued. “She was the one who signed me up for the home exchange.”

“Does this mean you’re not interested?” A tinge of disappointment coloured Gina’s question.

The man huffed in response. “No no, she’d just keep harassing me.”

“Oh.” Once again Gina was left with no clue what to say. 

Barba sighed, “This is rather awkward isn’t it?”

“Thank goodness.” As Gina laughed she felt a wave of relief roll over her. “Have you done this before?”

Barba chuckled alongside her.  “I haven't done this before but friends of mine have.”

“I haven’t either.” Gina breathed that sigh of relief she had been holding in. “Did you want to go ahead and swap?”

“Why not?” He sounded a lot more confident than he probably was.

Gina proceeded. “Where are you located?”

“Manhattan.”

“Not too far then.” Gina felt excitement pool in her belly. Though both her younger siblings resided in Manhattan she rarely visited them. She supposed it would be fun to play tourist for a while.

Barba had been talking while she was lost in her own thoughts. “—that’s why I need to stay close, for work.”

“In that case, when do you want to do this? And for how long?” Gina was curious.

“As soon as possible,” he answered promptly. “Have you been to Manhattan on New Years?”

She answered truthfully. “Not since I was young.”

“How about we swap back January second?” Barba sounded tentative. “Then you can have the full Christmas/New Years in New York experience.”

“Sounds good.” She tried to keep herself from sounding overly excited. “I'm Gina by the way. I'm very normal, non-smoker, tragically single.”

Barba let out a bark of laughter before responding with his own name, “Rafael. Not a loser but a complicated wreck.”

“Hi,” Gina giggled.

“Hi,” he returned.

After their laughter died down she asked, “How do you want to do this?”

“Meet at central tomorrow at noon and swap keys?”

“Sounds great.” She beamed down the phone. “I’ll message you a picture so you know who to look for.”

Rafael briefly agreed to do the same before he paused and tentatively questioned, “Can I ask you one thing?”

“Of course,” Gina kept her tone gentle.

His tone was hesitant and slightly wounded, and Gina, all too familiar with the sound of heartbreak, recognized it well. “Are there any men in your area?”

“Zero,” she answered truthfully. “Tomorrow too soon?”

“Tomorrow's perfect.” Gina could hear his smile.

They both said their goodbyes and Gina was left with the silence of her apartment. As Gina had decided to take a selfie, she looked at the camera, opened her eyes as wide as possible and poked her tongue out to the side. Gina giggled to herself as she sent it.

Minutes later her phone dinged indicating she had received a message. Upon opening it she was greeted by a photo of a handsome man with dark hair, light green eyes and a smirk plastered across his face. The picture was accompanied by a brief text, ‘ _ Surely we’re too old to be swapping selfies?’ _

Gina laughed as she tossed her phone on the couch. She had to get packing after all.

–

Gina Carisi was a similar height to Rafael, but she had long blond hair and crystal blue eyes. Even if Rafael hadn’t recognized her from the selfie she had sent him he would have easily been able to pick her out from the excited air she was exuding. Rafael approached her cautiously. “Gina?”

A smile cracked across the blonde's face. “Rafael.”

“It’s lovely to meet you.” He held out his hand, she shook it awkwardly.

“You too.” Gina’s voice sounded sweet, kind, not someone Rafael could normally see himself socializing with. “So uh, here’s my spare keys. My siblings each have a copy and I’ve got their contact details on the fridge.”

“Thank you.” Rafael felt the weight of a set of keys in an envelope on his palm.

Gina continued, her body becoming more animated as she continued. “Call them in order listed, they all should be aware that you are staying. I’m not sure if you have plans for Christmas, but you’d always be welcome to join my family. I will be there so you’ll at least have a familiar face.”

Rafael couldn’t help the exasperated look that fell across his face.

“Sorry,” Gina squeaked. “I’m sure you already have plans.”

Rafael decided to give the woman a break. “I have a heavy workload and normally spend the holiday period working.”

“Well the offer is there, just let me know,” Gina finished with a smile.

Rafael nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his own set of keys. He handed them to Gina with a forced smile. “My friend Rita has a spare, and I am almost certain you’ll meet her in the next few days. She loves to be involved in my business.”

Gina proceeded cautiously. “I’m sure she’s just worried about you.”

“That’s what she wants you to think,” he continued with a smirk. “Be careful she’s a defense attorney, and her bite is worse than her bark.”

Rafael tried not to wince as Gina forced a laugh, he wanted to tell her that she needn't try to impress him, that he understood how awkward the situation was. But before he could, Gina asked a question. “Do you need directions to my place?”

Rafael nodded and immediately Gina launched into a detail description of which train to take and exactly how to get to her place. She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote some more information before passing it to Rafael. They said their goodbyes and Rafael made his way across the bay and into Staten Island. He soon found himself standing in front of Gina Carisi’s home.

The house was small. Some might call it quaint, beautiful even; Rafael, however, was not one of those people. It was painted white and had a lovely garden in front if you were one to care for that sort of thing. He pulled the key labelled ‘front door’ from the envelope, unlocked the front door and stepped inside.

The house was beautiful, clearly had been renovated but was still disappointingly small. He supposed it could be worse. A small white fluffy dog trotted over and growled slightly. Rafael leaned down and let the dog sniff his hand, and the dog immediately licked him and wandered off.

Rafael quickly found the master bedroom and unpacked his things as best he could into the small closet. He then sat on the bed and huffed. He wasn’t sure what he had expected but it certainly wasn’t this. First he was going to go out and buy copious amounts of scotch, then he was going to call Rita and tell her exactly what he thought of the woman.

–

When Gina stepped through the threshold and into Rafael Barba’s apartment the breath caught in her throat. She was greeted by a large open living space with floor to ceiling windows which sported a lovely view of the city skyline. One wall was lined with dark wooden floor to ceiling bookshelves with a large lounge set and a moderate sized television.

She made her way across the living space and over to a beautiful, sleek kitchen, smaller than she expected and looked to be rarely used. There was a large square dining table, one end was well worn and had a couple of criminal law volumes stacked neatly on top.

As she went looking through the apartment she checked out the various rooms. A neatly made guest bedroom, a room which had been turned into a makeshift wardrobe, a bathroom, then finally she came upon the master bedroom. In the center lay a king size bed, Gina couldn’t help but squeal and flop herself onto it. She had never experienced such luxury.

Unfortunately her excitement was interrupted by the shrill ringing of her phone. She rolled over, reached into her pocket and held up the phone. It was her brother, and she answered with a sigh. “Hi Sonny.”

“Gina!” Her brother’s enthusiastic voice caused her to wince. “I’m catching up with Joseph and the guys, can I crash at yours tonight?”

“Sonny—”

He continued to needle her. “Please? I don’t want to have to relive the experience of stumbling into my childhood bedroom while drunk.”

“I’m sorry Sonny, I won’t be there.” Gina was relieved she wouldn’t have to deal with her drunken baby brother.

She could hear his scowl down the phone. “Why not?”

“I’ve swapped homes until new year,” Gina explained.

“What?”

“Sonny, I’m in a penthouse in Manhattan, it’s gorgeous.” Gina squealed, she couldn’t believe her luck.

Sonny scoffed. “I’m supposed to believe some rich guy decided to move into your tiny house for six weeks?”

“You better ‘cause it’s true,” She sang at him.

“Right, so I can’t crash at yours then?”

“Sorry Sonny,” Gina teased. “I don’t think he’d appreciate it.”

“That’s fine, I’ll see if I can sleep on someone else’s couch,” he continued, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

Gina just rolled her eyes. “Bye Sonny.”

“Enjoy your penthouse,” he chuckled before ending the call.

Gina relaxed into the king size bed. She most certainly would.

–

Rafael was bored.

He had taken a walk around the neighbourhood and located the first store which sold alcohol and proceeded to buy several reasonably priced bottles of scotch. After he returned back to his holiday home he proceeded to call Rita and told her exactly what he thought of his current situation. Rita of course laughed and told him to get over himself, to live a little and explore the neighborhood.

Rafael had hung up on her.

He proceeded to drink and the white fluffy dog, Douglas he had learned upon examining the animals nametag, joined him. Douglas turned out to be a solid companion and had no issues listening to Rafael complain about his situation. They enjoyed their dinner together before Douglas led Rafael to the couch and encouraged him to sit.

Rafael pulled out a novel and began to read, soon enough he was enveloped in a fantasy world. He eagerly consumed the first novel in the series and had worked his way through several chapters of the second before he was interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Douglas jumped up and ran to the front door, his tongue hung out the side of his face and tail wagged rapidly. Clearly someone the dog knew.

The pounding started again. “Gina! It’s me, open up.”

Rafael had no interest in letting a drunken stranger into another person's home, even if they knew said person.

“The lights are on I know you’re up,” The person slurred through the door. “Surely you’re not going to leave your little brother drunk on the doorstep?”

Rafael just rolled his eyes and shouted back, “Gina’s not here at the moment.”

The banging stopped. “Who the hell are you?”

“Rafael Barba.” Rafael felt the disdain pour from his response.

The man let out a laugh. “Oh! You must be the swanky person! I'm Sonny, Gina’s younger brother.”

_ Sonny _ , Rafael thought to himself.

“Would you mind letting me in?” Sonny continued. “You can call Gina first if you need to.”

Rafael looked at the clock, 3am blinked at him in nasty red numbers. He wasn’t going to wake the poor woman up so early over her drunk brother. He took a deep breath, unlocked the door and opened it. On the other side stood a tall, extremely handsome young man. Blond like his sister with the most intense blue eyes Rafael had ever seen, and he felt his belly swoop and choked back a groan.

So much for there being no men in this area.

“Thanks,” Sonny smiled, showing off his perfect dimples to Rafael.

Rafael took a step back and made an exaggerated gesture for the man to come in. Sonny smiled again before stumbling across the threshold and straight into Rafael. Sonny mumbled an apology before making his way over to the couch and grabbing the bottle of scotch that Rafael had slowly been drinking.

“Very nice,” Sonny huffed to himself before turning to face Rafael. “So you’re the swanky person.”

Rafael felt his eyebrow lift as he scowled. “Swanky person?”

“With the penthouse,” Sonny waggled his own blond eyebrows.

“That's me,” Rafael rolled his own eyes as he watched the blond settle in.

“This is my sister's house,” the younger man giggled before dropping himself into the couch with a sigh. “Uh, M’sorry about barging in on you. Gina always lets me crash here whenever I go out with friends, saves me from having to sneak into my parents without waking them.”

“Is this a frequent occurrence?” Rafael questioned.

“Lately it has been,” Sonny huffed to himself before turning on Rafael. “How’s staying here working out for you so far?”

“Poorly,” Rafael muttered with a scowl. “I'll probably return home tomorrow.”

“When did you get here?” Disappointment flittered across Sonny’s face.

Rafael made a show of checking his non-existent watch. “Around lunch time.

“Not a Staten Island fan?” The blond looked highly amused.

“Not particularly, no,” Rafael sighed. “I was pressured into this entire house swap situation and am thoroughly regretting it.”

“Staten Island’s not all bad—”

The prosecutor couldn’t help himself. “And that’s why you don’t live here anymore?”

“Who said I don’t?” The blond sounded far too cocky.

“You just mentioned sneaking back into your parents’ house.” Rafael continued to bait the younger man. “So either you’re still living with your parents or—”

“I got out as soon as I could,” Sonny quickly explained. “Doesn’t mean I’m not fond of the place.”

“I see.” Rafael couldn’t help the smirk that crept across his face.  

Sonny looked at him, head tilted to one side, Rafael couldn’t help but admire the man’s long neck. “... Uh... Sorry what's your name again?”

“Rafael,” he answered with an eyeroll.

The blond smiled as he stretched his body out, and the prosecutor’s eyes were drawn to his lithe form. “Oh... Rafael. Did you want a drink?”

“Excuse me?” 

“Coffee? Water?” The blond’s eyes slid to the bottle of scotch Rafael had left on the small dining table. “Scotch?”

“You’re offering me a drink?” Rafael cocked a brow.

Sonny just laughed. “Ma raised me to be a good host.

“This isn’t even your house,” Rafael pointed out, he watched as Sonny’s face fell into confusion and then realization.

“Still family.” The smile returned to the younger man’s face. “Ma would kill me if I didn’t offer.”

“How about I get us both water?” Rafael’s tone was more amused than he intended, finding himself warming to other man almost despite himself.

“I’ll get it,” Sonny protested, but when he couldn't quite seem to get his feet to work properly, he flopped back against the couch and gave Rafael a warm, if sheepish smile. “Actually…”

Rafael rolled his eyes but the sight of the man’s dimples creasing his cheeks seemed to stop his normal snark from bubbling to the surface. Instead, he headed into the kitchen, grabbed fresh glasses, quickly poured both of them a glass of water from the fridge before he returned to the lounge where the blond was looking expectantly. He handed over a glass to the blond before lifting his own and taking a drink. Sonny knocked back his own in one gulp.

An awkward silence filled the room, though luckily Douglas padded over and jumped onto the couch. He circled twice before finally settling himself. 

“Rafael?” Sonny began tentatively.

“Yes?” Rafael answered with a sigh, wondering what he would possibly ask now.

“Are you single?” The blond’s tone was less coy than he probably realized.

Rafael couldn’t help the smirk that slowly appeared on his face.  A young and handsome, albeit drunk, man wanted to know if he was single. Rafael couldn’t help but tease, “Do I look single?”

“What?” Clearly he had only confused the poor man.

Rafael decided to concede. “I am.”

“What?” Sonny’s face scrunched in confusion.

Rafael lowered his gaze slightly and let a small smile grace his own features. “Single.”

The dimpled smile that Sonny then delivered made Rafael’s stomach swoop again. “Can I kiss you?”

“Excuse me?” Rafael spluttered.

“Come on,” the blond whined. “You’re single, you're leaving, and you’ve been checking me out since I got here.”

“What?”

Sonny just laughed. “I may be a lil’ drunk but I know when a hot guy can’t keep his eyes off me.”

“You think I’m attractive?” Rafael couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

“Obviously.” The blond waggled his brow again causing Rafael to cringe at the sight, even if his face also felt suddenly very warm. “So can I?”

“Can you what?” The prosecutor couldn’t quite believe the situation.

“Kiss you?”

_ Why not? _ Rafael thought to himself. Rita had told him to live a little after all. Rafael nodded wordlessly, and the eager grin on the blond’s face made his stomach swoop. Rafael watched with a cocky smile as the taller man once again attempted to stand up.

Unfortunately the man barely made it off the couch before he slumped back into it and started to snore gently. Rafael let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and made his way over to a basket next to the couch. He pulled out a blanket and laid it over Sonny’s sleeping figure. He bid Douglas goodnight before making his own way to bed, and the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.

Tomorrow morning would be interesting.

  
  



	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly apologies for the delay on this chapter, it was a nightmare to get through for multiple reasons. Note that the amount of chapters have increased from 4 to 5.
> 
> Secondly the rating has gone up, I attempted smut for the first (and last time). Special thanks to BarbaEsparza and Astronaut_Milky for sitting along and being my cheer squad through the horror and for fixing some minor errors. If you do not wish to read as soon as Rafael's knees hit the bed flee.
> 
> Another special thank you to Robin Hood (KJack89) as always for helping me unstick myself from where I was stuck.
> 
> Finally a huge thanks to AHumanFemale for all the help making the smut legible and for the beta.
> 
> If you recognise a line it's probably not mine. I do not own, only enjoy, and I hope you do to. Feedback is very much appreciated.

The bed Rafael awoke in felt harder than he remembered, smaller too. He cracked open an eye and looked around the room, the reality of where he was finally sinking in. He forced himself out of bed and began his morning routine. By the time he was making his way down the stairs he was hit with the smell of bacon. Rafael followed the scent into the kitchen only to be knocked back by the sight before him.

Sonny was standing hunched over the counter wearing dark blue jeans and a black henley. A sight that Rafael had been too tipsy to truly admire the previous evening. The prosecutor allowed another moment to admire the handsome man in front of him before he cleared his throat, causing the younger man to jump.

“Uh hi?” Sonny sounded nervous.

The attorney smirked. “Rafael.”

“Thanks,” the younger man sighed, a red stain creeping up the back of his slender neck. “I hope I didn’t embarrass myself too much last night.”

“Well-”

The blond let out a groan. “What did I do?”

“Nothing too terrible,” Rafael teased before gesturing to the stove top. “Is that for me?”

Momentarily distracted, Sonny turned to the stove. “Yes it is. Do you like frittata?”

“If it’s cooked properly,” the prosecutor eyed the younger man wearily.

Sonny just laughed. “You’re in for a treat. Coffee?”

“Yes,” Rafael watched the younger man pour him a cup and then place it carefully on the table in front of him.

The blonds smile was gentle. “Cream or Sugar?”

“Cream.”

Sonny opened the fridge, pulled out a pint of cream and placed it in front of Rafael. As the prosecutor made his coffee to taste he watched Sonny dish out breakfast. Sonny then carefully balanced the two plates and his own coffee as he bought them to the table. Rafael admired the baked breakfast as it was set in front of him.

“What’s in this?” He asked as Sonny sat down opposite him.

“Spinach, red peppers, baco-” the blond’s face drained of all color. “You’re not a vegetarian are you?”

Rafael couldn’t help the smirk that formed on his face. “Well I flirted with the idea once or twice but ultimately decided not to.”

“Well dig in,” Sonny said after he let out an appreciative laugh.

From the first forkful Rafael was in heaven, he had never had a frittata quite like the one Sonny had made for him. He wanted to know more about the man, and he had one particularly burning question.  “Any particular reason why you ended up drunk and pounding on your sister's door at three in the morning?”

That got the blond’s attention. “I thought you didn’t want to discuss that?”

He watched the blond stab at his breakfast with more force than Rafael thought was necessary. “It’s been a long week at work.”

“Oh?”

“I’m a detective, homicide. This case we’ve been working on? It’s been real hard.” The blond shoveled some more of his breakfast into his mouth before slamming his fork down. “There was this young girl, about my sister Bella’s age. She looked a bit like her too, like one of us, like she was a member of the family."

Rafael could see the young man was torn.

“She was beautiful, even with the strangulation marks around her neck. She had a full face of makeup on, that’s how we knew it was the husband, even with DNA evidence everyone was shocked. Apparently they were so happy-” He paused to look at Rafael. “But you probably don’t want to hear about that.”

Rafael kept his tone calm. “I’m a prosecutor with the Manhattan DA’s office I hear about these things all day.”

“Oh really? I’ve just started studying Law at Fordham.” Sonny’s tone turned bright.

The prosecutor could tell the detective was eager to change the subject so he indulged him. “Planning to be a lawyer?”

“Yeah maybe,” Sonny beamed at him. “Just getting a feel for it at the moment. What about you?”

“What about me?” Rafael raised a brow.

Sonny just laughed. “Yale, Stanford or Harvard?”

“Harvard,” the prosecutor said factually before he finished his breakfast.

“Figured,” the detective looked proud of himself. “A rich guy like yourself-”

Rafael glared at the detective. “I was on a scholarship, I grew up in the Bronx just off Jerome Avenue, I-”

“So you’d know a thing or two about young men and alcohol,” Sonny cut him off with a teasing tone.

Rafael rolled his eyes. “The stupid decisions they make you mean.”

“Exactly,” Sonny laughed again. “So what did I do to embarrass myself last night?”

Rafael cocked a brow. “You really want to know?”

“Yes,” the blond huffed.

Rafael raked his eyes over the handsome detective and thought about exactly how he wanted to play this. The blond looked nervous, but his eyes were blue, his face handsome and he looked exceptionally good in a henley. “You asked if you could kiss me-”

“Oh no, really?” Sonny groaned as he stood their plates, a red flush began to return to his neck once more.

“-and then promptly passed out.”

The detective winced before he collected Rafael’s empty plates. “Of course I did.”

“For the record, detective,” Rafael purred. “I said yes.”

The detective stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Rafael, blue eyes locking with green. Rafael raised a brow again, daring the detective to make a move. The blond carefully put the dishes in the sink before he turned back to the prosecutor. “It’s probably better that I’m sober.”

“Oh?”

“I want to remember everything when I do this.” Sonny strode towards Rafael before he pulled him to his feet. Once again the blond looked at Rafael and cocked his head to the side, silently asking his permission to proceed. Rafael ran his tongue slowly across his mouth before nodding once.

The detective stepped forward once again, a cocky smirk graced his mouth. As the taller man grabbed Rafael’s chin the prosecutor felt his heart beat heavily against his ribcage in anticipation. Sonny’s breath ghosted against his lips before the younger man finally closed the distance, catching Rafael’s mouth with his own, the sensation electric. All too soon the kiss was over, Rafael’s twinge of disappointment smothered out by the blissful look on Sonny’s face.

“So I was wondering if you wanted to have a drink with me?” The blond’s voice was sweet and low.

Rafael took a step back. “I'm here on holiday, I’m not looking for anything-”

“Well I'm kind of sweet on you-” A gentle smile tugged at the blond’s mouth.

“You’ve known me less than twelve hours,” Rafael snapped.

Sonny continued, undeterred by the prosecutors reluctance. “-and if you change your mind I'm having some drinks with some school friends tonight. You should come.”

“Sonny-”

“Look,” Rafael watched as Sonny pulled a card out of his pocket, jotted something onto it before passing the card to Rafael. “My number and the address is here if you decide to join us.” Sonny then marched straight over to Rafael and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. “One more for the road. I really hope to see you there.”

And then he was gone, giving Douglas a pat before he closed the front door behind him. Rafael was frozen, he looked down at the business card before hastily shoving it into his pocket. He shook himself before walking over to the coffee machine and made himself a fresh cup of coffee.

Rafael was deep in thought when his phone let out a shrill ring, he pulled it from his pocket and answered. “Hello Rita.”

“How did you know it was me?” Rita teased.

Rafael took a sip of his coffee before he answered, “Instinct.”

“How was your first night?” Rita cooed as she ignored Rafael’s snarky tone.

“More interesting than expected,” Rafael felt the smirk play at his lips. “Not as interesting as this morning.”

“Oh?” The woman’s interest was clearly peaked.

Rafael stifled a laugh. “Or last night.”

“Rafael?” He could always depend on Rita being interested in gossip, they were friends after all.

Rafael tried and failed to keep his tone innocent. “I may have spent the last few hours with the homeowner’s brother.”

“Her brother?” Her laughter was so loud that Rafael had to move his phone away from his ear. “Rafael you perverted old man. Tell me everything.”

As he described the events of the past day, Rafael felt a pleasant warmth spread over his body as he thought about Sonny. He pulled the card from his pocket and played with it as he chatted to his friend. As the conversation round down, and with Rita’s forceful encouragement, Rafael was decided. After all, what could be the harm of spending one more night in Staten Island?

–

One night away from Staten Island and Gina was feeling refreshed, one night and she felt alive. As she ate her simple breakfast overlooking the manhattan skyline, she googled fun things to do in the city. It had been a long time since she had taken a break and wanted to explore, play tourist for a day.

A knock on the door interrupted her research. “Mr. Barba?”

Gina wandered over to the front door and looked through the keyhole. A tiny old man with white hair and grey eyes stood on the other side, he looked harmless enough and she thought the doorman wouldn’t have let him through if he was a danger to anyone. Gina pasted a smile on her face and opened the door.

“I’m sorry sir,” she began with a gentle tone to match her smile. “Mr. Barba is on holiday.”

His shoulders slumped. “Oh.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Gina queried.

He gave her a curious look before proceeding. “My grandchildren were supposed to visit this week, and one of them is allergic to cats so Mr Barba looks after Molly for me.”

“I can do that-”

“But they cancelled again,” he finished dejectedly.

Gina felt her heart sink.

“I just wanted to let him know,” he turned to leave.

“Excuse me, sir,” Gina said brightly. “What’s your name?”

“Alfred,” the man paused.

“I’m Gina,” She continued. “It was lovely to meet you.

“You too, Miss,” Alfred nodded. “If you ever need anything I’m in apartment 70B.”

Gina gave the man a wave. “Thank you Alfred.”

Gina waited until Alfred had stepped into the elevator and the doors had closed on him. She then returned to her breakfast, quieting eating as she continued to google activities to do in New York. She was soon interrupted by the soft tones of “ _Can’t Help Falling in Love_ ” coming from her phone, her stomach sank, she knew she should have changed the ringtone.

Gina took a deep breath before she answered. “Robert?”

“Gina,” the familiar warm voice caused her heart to pound wildly. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“I’m busy Robert,” Gina sighed as she began to pace across the apartment.

She could hear Robert’s smile as he spoke. “I heard you’re off on an adventure, spending some time in Manhattan? That’s so unlike you.”

“I needed a change,” Gina hated how stiff she sounded. “I needed to get away.”

The man sounded baffled. “From what?”

“Do you really have no idea?” Gina’s voice began to shake as she felt herself grow warm. “We were engaged a year ago, two years ago, hell even five years ago. Then you propose to the woman you cheated on me with in front of everyone I work with.”

“Well I-”

Gina snapped. “Enough Robert, I am done listening to your excuses.”

She hung up the phone and flung it onto the lounge letting out a scream of frustration. Then suddenly her words sank in, for the first time in her life she stood up to Robert. Gina walked over to the lounge and picked up her phone from where it had landed. She pulled up Robert’s entry, changed the ringtone and then typed out a text to the man.

_We both know I need to fall out of love with you. Would be great if you would let me try._

She grabbed her things and with renewed self confidence set out of the apartment and into the city of Manhattan.

–

Snow was lightly falling as Rafael entered the bar that Sonny had left the address for. As soon as the door shut behind him there was a loud chorus of laughter from one corner of the bar followed by shouting from a familiar Staten Island accent. Rafael felt his breath catch as the familiar blond stood and made his way to the bar.

Sonny had looked good the night before in dark blue jeans and a black henley, but tonight he had chosen a deep rich red colour which looked stunning against his pale skin. Rafael took a moment to admire the blond before he made his way over to the bar and ordered a scotch. He nodded to the detective, who looked please to see the prosecutor. The tick of Sonny’s blond eyebrow as well as a knowing smile sent a shiver down Rafael’s spine.

“I see you made it,” Sonny smirked as he inched closer. “Staten Island not all that bad?”

“Certain elements have caught my eye,” Rafael cocked his brow.

The two men stared each other down, both daring the other to make the first move. It was Sonny who broke, who stepped into Rafael’s personal space and rested a hand on the bar next to him. Emboldened, Rafael cocked his head to the side, daring the detective to close the space between them.

“Sonny!” A voice interrupted the moment between the men. “Stop flirting and get us our drinks!”

Immediately Sonny stepped away, a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry, it’s my round.”

“Well then,” Rafael tried to hide the disappointment from his voice.

Sonny chuckled before asking, “Did you want to meet my friends?”

“Not particularly,” Rafael smirked at the blond’s disappointed look. “But I’ll endure it if needs be.”

Sonny looked at him with a smile and nodded. He gestured to the bartender, then his friends and pressed some notes into the woman’s hands. He then turned to Rafael, “Let me just grab my satchel.”

“Satchel?”

“I’m a _law student_ Rafael,” the detective’s tone was haughty. “I need to carry my books somehow.”

Rafael watched as Sonny approached his friends and chatted animatedly to them. Rafael refused to let himself blush as the group turned to look at him as Sonny’s gestured. After a wave Sonny was back at Rafael’s side, his satchel clutched in hand. The prosecutor noticed a glint in the younger man’s eye, he would have to ask him about it later.

“Dinner?” Sonny asked as they left the bar.

“Sure,” Rafael smirked. “But let’s skip dessert.”

–

As soon as the back of his knees hit the bed Rafael was having second thoughts. The fleeting idea that maybe they shouldn't be doing this in Sonny's sister’s bed was smothered by lips capturing his own. As Sonny’s kisses moved away from his mouth and towards his neck Rafael couldn’t help but hum in appreciation.

All too soon Sonny pulled away, his mouth replaced by a single hand which caressed the side of Rafael’s neck before it joined the other to unbutton the prosecutor’s shirt. With each button he popped, Sonny lovingly traced the inch of bronze skin that was revealed. As soon as the shirt was discarded the blond sat back to admire his work.

Under the detective’s gaze, Rafael felt flush. Not to be outdone, he gently tugged at the deep red henley Sonny was wearing before he pulled it over the other man’s head. The prosecutor couldn’t help but admire the man in front of him, his broad chest surprisingly soft but no less muscular. Rafael reached up and ran his fingers over the detective’s chest before snaking his hands up Sonny’s back and into his blond locks before dragging him down into another searing kiss.

“So…” Sonny trailed off, suddenly uncertain of himself.

Rafael couldn’t help but tease, “What do you want to do detective?”

“I want to tease you open. With my fingers, my tongue, stretch you until you’re begging for me.”

Rafael felt himself twitch at Sonny’s words. “And then?”

“Then we’ll see,” Sonny’s adept fingers made quick work of Rafael’s belt.

Rafael raised his brow at the detective’s smirk. “Go on then.”

Sonny hooked his hands over Rafael’s trousers before he deftly removed them. As the cool air hit his skin Rafael couldn’t help but shiver with anticipation. Rafael watched as Sonny’s eyes slowly raked over him, an appreciative look filled the detective’s sharp blue eyes. Sonny looked as though he was desperate; to reach out, to touch.

As though he was in worship of Rafael, Sonny’s hands ghosted over his form almost reverently, he slowly traced patterns into his skin. Rafael watched as the handsome man lowered himself to plant a kiss on the left side of his chest before moving to press another to his stomach. As Sonny slowly kissed his way further down Rafael’s torso his hands ran up his sides to rest firmly on his hips.

Sonny pressed a kiss to the tented fabric of Rafael’s boxers, before he nuzzled him through the thin material. Rafael felt a whimper escape at the unexpectedly affectionate contact. Sonny pressed another kiss to him before he hooked his slender fingers over the cotton fabric and slid Rafael’s boxers over his hips.

Green eyes locked with blue, daring the other man to continue. A gentle smirk graced the blond’s features as he raked his eyes over the bronze form in front of him. As Sonny licked his lips Rafael felt his breath hitch, the younger man had a look of awe in his eyes. Once again Sonny reached for Rafael, the older man’s legs eagerly parted his legs at the younger man’s touch. Sonny slid a large hand down Rafael’s thigh, kneading the flesh before gently encouraging the older man to place it over his shoulder. Rafael’s other leg shortly followed.

Rafael leaned back on the pillow, waiting for something, anything to happen. Then Sonny’s large hands were on him, parting him. It was tentative at first, a darted tongue, a simple swipe at Rafael’s entrance. The second lick was more assertive, the third delved inside of him. Rafael let out a moan as Sonny expertly pressed into him with his tongue, his hips bucked as he grabbed the end of the bed to hold onto. All too soon his hips were lowered. He mewled as Sonny’s heat disappeared.

“You better keep your word,” he growled as he watched Sonny rid himself of the rest of his clothes.

“Give me a sec,” Sonny chuckled before he quickly delved into the satchel he had hastily thrown when they first entered the room.

Rafael watched him pull a tube of lube from the bag. “Presumptuous were we?”

“I had good reason to be,” the detective smirked as he returned to the bed.

Rafael sank back into the pillow, a small smirk graced his mouth when he heard the cap of the lube click open. And then a single finger was at his entrance, Sonny traced the ring of muscle before he slowly sank inside. Rafael moaned as the blond slowly explored until he found his prize. Before Rafael knew it he was being expertly stretched by long skilful fingers, scissoring him, teasing him. Every so often Sonny would slowly graze over the spot inside Rafael that made the older man writhe.

All Rafael could do was listen breathlessly to the tear of packaging and the slick sound of lube on latex. And then Sonny was at his entrance, the mixture of silicone and saliva easing his way as he pushed inside.

After Sonny was fully sheathed, he captured Rafael’s mouth with his own, the searing kiss caused Rafael’s heart to stutter and his vision to swim. He raised a hand to brush a strand of hair from Rafael’s face with an easy smile before pressing another gentle kiss to his jawbone. When Sonny finally moved, Rafael felt as though he was on fire.

Rafael felt Sonny’s hands gripping his hips hard, he relished in the thought of the potential bruises he would have the next day. He felt alive, lost to the sensation of Sonny moving within him, every thrust expertly aimed to hit that sweet spot inside which made Rafael’s toes curl. Sonny seemed to be spurred on by every whimper which escaped, every groan.

They moved together, hands roaming the other’s form, each thrust bringing the two men closer to completion. Sonny’s mouth on Rafael’s, his shoulders, his neck as he expertly followed Rafael’s commands of “faster”, “deeper”, “harder”, and “just like that”.

Rafael was the first to let go, his hot release spilling across the two of them.

“Beautiful,” Sonny murmured as he admired his work.

As Sonny started to move again, he kept his gaze locked with Rafael’s until he finally came with his head buried into the older man’s shoulder to stifle the sound of his release. Sonny kissed Rafael’s neck and then lifted his head, blue eyes gazed into green. Rafael lifted a hand to cup Sonny’s cheek.

“Beautiful,” Rafael couldn’t help the gentle smirk that twitched at his mouth.

Sonny chuckled before he drew one last kiss from Rafael’s mouth and then pressed another to his shoulder before finally slipping out of the man.

Rafael watched as the younger man padded across the room and out of the door, he returned shortly later with a warm wet cloth which he used to clean the streaks off Rafael’s chest. Once they were both clean Sonny got up to leave again, Rafael reached out and grabbed the taller man’s wrist.

“Stay.”

The smile that graced Sonny’s face made Rafael’s request worth it. He nodded before ducking out of the room once more to return the supplies to the bathroom. Soon he was lying in bed next to Rafael, with a huffed laugh Sonny pressed a kiss to his lover’s naked shoulder.

“What?” Rafael was curious what had made the detective laugh so hard

Blue eyes met green. “My sister’s going to kill me when she finds out.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to thesorceressfromthelake for their wonderful support for acting as a beta for this fic, any remaining mistakes are all mine.
> 
> I do not own, only enjoy, and I hope you do as well. Feedback is very much appreciated.

Rafael awoke in an familiar bed with another person's hot breath on the back of his neck, an arm slung over his waist and a thick thigh between his legs. As memories of the night before flashed through his brain Rafael sunk into the pillow, a small smile played at the corner of his mouth.

“Please don’t make me get up,” A familiar voice mumble into his neck.

Rafael untangled himself before rolling over to face Sonny. The blond had a goofy smile on his face which reached his bright blue eyes. Rafael allowed a smirk to creep onto his face before he leaned forward and captured the younger man’s mouth in a gentle kiss. Sonny bought a hand up to the back of Rafael’s neck to deepen the kiss, he rubbed soft circles with his thumb on the back of Rafael’s neck.

And then there was a shrill noise followed by the disappearance of Sonny’s lips on his own. Rafael tried not to scowl as the other man rolled over to answer his phone. “Carisi. Okay Sarge, be there as soon as possible.”

Rafael watched as Sonny hung up the phone and rolled over. He let the younger man press a kiss into his mouth before he slid out of the bedding and grabbed his jeans.

“Sorry to cut this short,” there was a pleasant tone to his voice. “But duty calls, you know?”

Rafael forced himself to sit up. “Of course detective, I understand.”

“Right,” Sonny said with a smile as he slid his jeans over his hips. He opened his mouth as though to say something and then closed it again.

Rafael cocked his head. “Did you want to say something detective?”

“Uh, I had fun.” It came out shakier than Rafael supposed was intended.

Rafael smirked. “You don’t sound so certain.”

“I’ve never been good at this part,” Sonny said with a nervous chuckle. “Did you want to do this again sometime?”

“Look, Sonny-”

“Just while you’re on the Island,” the detective threw his hands up as Rafael threw him a pointed look. “Well if you change your mind, you have my card.”

And then he was gone.

Rafael sunk back into the bed and tried to fall back asleep. How could he when everytime he closed his eyes all he could see was blue and gold.

—

It had only been a few days but Gina already felt as though she belonged in Manhattan, she understood why her siblings had opted to leave Staten Island for the bustle of the city. She felt more alive now than she had in several days. However there was one part of living in Manhattan that Gina wasn’t enjoying.

At least once a day she would run into Alfred from apartment 70B. They would chat briefly about her day, he would make suggestions on how to spend her time in the city. She found out he had grown up in Manhattan, had lived through the great depression and had watched the city grow tall. But that wasn’t what broke Gina’s heart.

Everyday Alfred would tell Gina about his children. A son who lived in LA, who had desperately wanted to be a movie star but was now a teacher with children of his own; and a daughter who lived in the UK who was planning on coming to visit soon. Gina had a sneaking suspicion it was always soon.

It was on her fifth day in the city when she had decided that she had enough of exploring on her own. So she popped down to the 70th floor, knocked on apartment B, and flashed a huge smile at the kind old man who lived there.

“Miss Gina,” Alfred croaked. “How can I help you?”

“I’m tired of being on my own, would you like to show me some of the city?” She asked politely, she didn’t want her enthusiasm to scare the man off.

A smile broke out across the old man’s face. “I would love to.”

Gina was glad that she asked.

They spent the day together exploring the remaining haunts of Alfred’s youth. She heard stories of a childhood spent exploring the construction sites of the buildings they visited. They had coffee in a tiny shop she would probably never find again and had the best sandwiches from a hole in the wall deli.

The day was filled with laughter and memory and when the two returned home Alfred turned to her with a smile. “Thank you for today.”

“You’re welcome,” Gina said before she bid the man goodnight.

That evening as she lay in the king size bed she swore that she would spend at least one day with him until she returned home. After all, everyone deserved to be a little less lonely.

—

It had been two weeks and while Rafael hadn’t bothered to contact Sonny, thoughts of the blond haired, blue eyed, dimpled detective continued to plague his thoughts. He was struggling to get work done, every time he heard a Staten Island accent his palms grew sweaty and his stomach would quiver. When Rita invited him out for dinner he lept at the opportunity for distraction.

Rita, of course, had plans of her own.

“So, Rafael, have you called the brother back yet?” She said teasingly before taking a bite of her salmon.

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”

“I thought you had fun,” Rita purred.

The prosecutor couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on his face. “Oh we had all sorts of fun.”

“But?”

“He’s serious relationship material,” Rafael admitted, his tone dejected. “I don’t want that after James, and it wouldn’t be fair to him.”

“From what you told me he’s just looking for a bit of fun,” Rita continued.

He fought to keep his blush down. “He didn’t really say that-”

“I think you’re scared that you might fall for him,” she laughed.

“Rita,” Rafael hissed.

Then in the background he heard a familiar laugh. The prosecutor’s head snapped up and his green eyes locked onto a familiar pair of blue ones. There he was, the man he had been trying not to obsess over was walking towards him, a group of similar looking people in toe.

“Don’t you want a handsome, younger, man in your bed?” Rita of course was oblivious.

Rafael hissed at her to be quiet. “Rita-”

“Oh come now, Rafael,” She laughed him off. “I’m only teasing.”

That same familiar chuckle cause Rafael to wince. “Yeah, Rafael, only teasing.”

  
Rafael watched as Rita raked her eyes appreciatively over the detective's figure. He was wearing dark slacks and a pale grey-blue button up which made his eyes pop. The defense attorney turned her attention back to Rafael and raised her eyebrows appreciatively.

“Rafael, please introduce me to this fine young man,” Rita’s voice turned sultry.

The detective of course beat him too it. “Sonny Carisi ma’am. These are my sisters Teresa and Bella, and this is Bella’s partner Tommy. Everyone this is Rafael Barba and-”

“Rita Calhoun,” Rita smiled as she kicked her friend under the table. “I’ve heard lovely things about you.”

“Really?” Sonny lit up at the idea that Rafael had been talking about him.

Her smile turned into a smirk. “Of course.”

“Is that so?” The detective laughed.

“Anyway detective,” Rafael threw a glare at his companion. “We’re just having lunch-”

“Come on Rafa,” Rita continued. “We’re finishing up anyway, I’ll leave you two to catch up while I’ll settle the bill.”

“Rita,” Rafael warned but it was too late, his friend was up and pulling over a waiter.

“Old friend?” Sonny asked sheepishly.

Rafael gave him a pointed look. Before he could respond with an appropriately scathing remark one of Sonny’s sister’s jumped in. “So you’re the one that swapped houses with Gina?”

“Yes.”

“Poor you,” the woman continued. “From what I’ve heard it was a bit of a downgrade-”

“Resa,” the other woman snapped. “Don’t be rude.”

The first woman, Teresa he assumed, sighed loudly. “You have eyes, look at what he’s wearing.”

“Ignore my sister’s, Rafael,” Sonny scowled.

“Have you asked him?” The younger woman, who must have been Bella, questioned her brother.

Rafael raised a brow.“Asked me what?”

“Will you be staying on Staten Island for Christmas?” The younger woman asked.

Rafael answered cautiously. “That was my intention.”

“So you’ll be joining us for Christmas?” A huge smirk began to unfurl on the younger woman’s face. “Since you have no other plans.”

“Don’t answer,” Sonny groaned.

Teresa piped in. “It’ll be part of the experience, a real Staten Island Christmas.”

“This invitation has come out of nowhere,” Rafael frowned, not feeling comfortable.

Bella smiled. “We’re just one big welcoming family. Or do you already have plans?”

Rafael didn’t, his mother was already in Florida enjoying the sun in the presence of family. Still that was usual, he had no idea what force drove him to say “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all we ask,” Teresa beamed at him. “Come on, Bella, Tommy, let’s leave these two alone.”

Sonny waited until his sisters were out of earshot before he mumbled, “You really don’t have to come. But if it helps, I would love it if you came.” The younger man smiled and then turned to leave.

“Wait,” Rafael looked into Sonny’s soulful blue eyes, his palms sweated and his stomach churned. “I’ll be there.”

—

It was late afternoon when Gina returned to the apartment, arms full of bags of gifts for her family and friends. She had gone a little overboard, but how often did she have the money or the time to spoil those closest to her? As she stepped past the doorman and into the building she noticed Alfred’s familiar figure.

“Good afternoon Alfred,” She called out, the old man however looked despondent. “Alfred.”

“Sorry Gina,” His voice was quiet, pained.

Gina walked over to the man and put down her bags. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing to concern yourself with,” a forced smile formed across his battered face.

Gina placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please tell me.”

“I just won't be seeing my grandkids for Christmas,” he said sadly.

“Alfred, I am so sorry-”

Alfred stopped her. “Don’t be, it’s just a fact of life.”

“Alfred-”

“Let me help you with your bags,” he smiled and picked up two of the smaller bags.

Gina thanked him and grabbed the rest, they rode the elevator to the top of the building in silence. The gears in Gina’s head turned, an idea crossed her mind.

“Alfred,” She asked him as she unlocked the door to the apartment. “What are your plans for christmas now?”

He sounded wistful. “A quiet night I suppose.”

“Come have christmas with my family,” Gina continued as she placed the bags on the table. “It’ll be crowded and loud as my nieces are attending but you’d be more than welcome.”

The smile that lit up Alfred’s face made the invitation worthwhile. “Are you sure you want an old man like me there?”

“We would love to have you,” Gina said honestly.

The man put down his bags and laughed. “Thank you!”

Alfred offered to help Gina unpack, she told him to go home and rest. Christmas was only a few more days away after all, and and to spend it with the Carisi’s? The old man would need all of his strength.

—

Rafael was unsure of what to expect when he knocked on the door of an impressively decorated house. It was covered in lights had a full Santa Claus on a sleigh and a Nativity scene and yet it didn’t look too tacky at all.

Tessa Carisi was a force of nature, without a second glance she had rushed Rafael into the house and had already extracted more personal information that he would normally care to give. After her interrogation she had patted Rafael’s cheek and announced that he ‘would do’. She was quick witted with a sharp tongue and clearly loved her children.

Dominick Carisi shook Rafael’s hand firmly before he asked what scotch he preferred. After a lengthy discussion before dinner he had bought one of his finer bottles to the table and proceeded to discuss it with Rafael. He had a booming laugh and a gentle smile, just like his son’s.

Teresa wandered in late, with a handsome older man on her arm and two young girls in toe. She asked Rafael exactly how much he earned that allowed him to afford the building he lived in and the suits he wore. Her children smiled sweetly and fought loudly over their presents.

Gina greated Rafael with a hesitant wave and a polite hello. On her arm was Alfred, the old man who lived in the same building as Rafael. The three of them chatted amicably over dinner, the old man’s mind was still keen and was eager to divulge all his knowledge. Gina was well spoken with that same gentle Carisi smile, she seemed to be quite fond of Rafael’s neighbour, something that made Rafael glad.

Bella and her partner Tommy seemed to be head over heels in love, Rafael found it sickeningly sweet. Tommy was content to sit back and enjoy his meal while watching Bella argue with her older siblings over who did what, when, how, and why. She eyed Rafael wearily, a mischievous smile painted across her face every time she had caught him looking at her brother.

Sonny though was calm throughout the meal, seemingly weaving in and out of every conversation with relative ease. Halfway through dinner he rested his hand on Rafael’s thigh and gave him a pointed look. Rafael allowed a smile to tug at his lips before turning back to Dom to finish their conversation about scotch.

For the rest of the evening until Sonny stood to help clear the table the hand remained. When it was gone Rafael could still feel it’s presence, the weight of it had burned into his skin. He could still feel it throughout desert, as he shook Dom’s hand and kissed Tessa farewell.

Rafael could still feel it’s presence as Sonny walked him out the door and turned to him, a beautiful smile was stretched across the his face. “Thank you for coming.”

Rafael nodded. “Thank you for the invitation.”

Sonny took a step forward and rested a hand on Rafael’s shoulder, blue eyes meeting green asking a question. Rafael answered by snaking his hand through soft blond hair and drawing the younger man into a kiss. All too soon they were forced to part by the honking of a horn, Rafael’s uber had arrived.

“Rafael,” the prosecutor turned at the desperate mention of his name. “Call me this time.”

Rafael couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face, it was Christmas after all. “I will.”

—

Gina watched from the window with a scowl as her brother kissed Rafael Barba for all the neighbourhood to see. Normally Gina wouldn’t have a problem with whoever her brother bought home, but this was different, the prosecutor was her house guest and she was feeling protective of the older man.

As soon as Sonny entered the house and closed the door behind him Gina was on him. “You did not sleep with him did you?”

“Gina-”

Gina hoped her brother withered under her glare. “I told him there were no men here.”

“Well you shouldn’t have lied,” He forced a laugh.

“Sonny, he’s nursing a broken heart,” She snapped before immediately regretting what she had said. She calmed down and softened her tone. “I’m sorry, I just don’t want him breaking yours in the process.”

Sonny flashed a soft smile at her. “I’m a big boy, Gina; I can look after myself.”

“I know,” Gina agreed.

Sonny raised a brow at her before enveloping her into a strong hug. She breathed in his familiar comforting scent before taking a step back and whacking him gently on the chest.

“I still can’t believe you slept with him,” She pouted.

Sonny just smirked. “I have excellent taste. Now come on, I want to get to know this guy you bought home.”

Gina laughed and rolled her eyes as her brother walked away. Then a stray thought crossed her mind, “it had better not have happened in my bed.”

“Well-”

Sonny had never run faster in his life.

 

 


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally at the end! Many thanks to everyone who read, commented and left kudos. You are all wonderful.
> 
> Many thanks to thesorceressfromthelake for their wonderful support for acting as a beta for this fic, any remaining mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Also thanks to Robin Hood (Kjack89), AHumanFemale, BarbaEsparza & Astronaut_Milky for all the help they gave me with this fic. <3
> 
> If you recognise a line it's probably not mine. I do not own, only enjoy, and I hope you do to. Feedback is very much appreciated.

The cafe was smaller than Rafael expected, but he could tell from how packed it was that the coffee must be exceptional. Sonny was waiting for him at a tiny table packed into the back corner of the place, and when he saw Rafael walking towards him his face lit up. He stood up and helped usher Rafael to his seat, the dimpled smile never left his face.

“Thanks for calling,” his blue eyes sparkled as he took the seat opposite.

Rafael couldn’t help but return the smile with one of his own. “Thank you for inviting me.”

They sat in silence, neither of the men knowing quite what to say. Eventually Rafael decided to try and break the silence. “So-”

As did Sonny. “What-”

They laughed, the cliche of their situation not lost on them. Rafael gestured at Sonny, “What would you like?”

“My order can be complicated,” Sonny chuckled. “Since I asked you it’s my treat; what would you like?”

“Latte, no foam,” Rafael forced a smile.

Sonny nodded. “Coming right up.”

Rafael couldn’t help but watch the Detective make his way to the counter. The grey slacks he was wearing fitted him nicely, though the mint green shirt was not an item Rafael would have chosen for the man. Eventually he returned, two cups in hand and a cocky grin on his face. Rafael took a long drink of his coffee and moaned.

“I thought you only made that sound for me,” lust dripped through each word.

Rafael rolled his eyes opened his mouth to brush off his comment but as always, Sonny’s phone began to ring.

“Hang on, I’ve got to take this,” Sonny answered the phone and raised it to his ear. “Carisi. Yes. Of course. Be there right away.”

“Let me guess,” Rafael arched a brow.

Sonny’s sheepish grin made the prosecutor’s stomach twist. “I’m sorry to cut this short again-”

“I understand,” Rafael watched as the detective hastily grabbed some cash from his wallet and threw it on the table.

“This wasn’t exactly how I was planning on asking,” Sonny began. “Some friends of mine are throwing a New Years party in the city, will you come?”

Rafael would like to say that he had actually stopped to think before he answered, but the reality was he responded immediately with “yes”. The now familiar smile that blossomed upon the detective’s face made Rafael’s heart stutter and his own face heat up. The detective stepped around the table and leant down to where the older man sat and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth.

When Sonny finally pulled away a brief look of bliss crossed the prosecutor’s face before he schooled his expression into one of nonchalance. The detective of course, knew better.

“Bye Rafael,” he teased before he finally left the cafe.

Rafael kept his eye on the younger man until he was finally out of sight. The prosecutor slumped back in his seat with a sigh, he didn’t know what to do. In a few days he would be back home and he would probably never cross paths with the detective again.

—

Gina had a wonderful day; Alfred had spent another day showing her his old haunts and regaling her with stories of New York’s days post the war. But as every story ended and they drew closer to the apartment building that she had been calling home she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. In a few days she would be going home, and her life would be returning to normal.

After a quick stop at the local grocer they slowly walked back to their apartment building, chatting and laughing all the way. Eventually, Alfred turned to Gina with a smile. “Thank you for entertaining an old man yet again.”

“No, thank you for keeping me company,” Gina returned a gentle smile.

“Gina,” his tone grew serious. “Do you know what I’ve been asking myself for the past few weeks?

“Why I’m always bothering you?” She tried to brush him off.

Alfred stopped and took her hand. “I’m wondering why a beautiful girl like you would spend all her time with an old man like me.”

“I wanted to get away from Staten Island,” She started, Alfred of course wasn’t having a word of it. Gina relented, “well, not all of Staten Island. One person. l wanted to get away from one guy. An ex-boyfriend who just got engaged and forgot to tell me. Sorry.” She finished with a bitter chuckle.

“So he's a schmuck,” Alfred patted her cheek with a smile.

“As a matter of fact, he is,” her tone was as bitter.

“A huge schmuck,” Alfred chuckled.

“How did you know?” Her question was genuine. “It took me years to work it out.”

Alfred looked genuinely surprised at her question. “He let you go.”

—

Rafael wasn’t sure what to expect from the party Sonny had invited him to, he was worried that he would feel old and out of place. He shouldn’t have. There were people standing around, talking, drinking and having fun. Sonny’s own laugh cut through the crowd, drawing the prosecutor towards him. When green eyes met blue electricity filled the air and a smirk curled at Rafael’s mouth.

“Sonny,” he practically purred.

The smile the blond gave him made his heart flutter. “Rafael.”

They spent the evening together, never more than an arm's reach away from the other. Rafael regaled Sonny’s friends with stories of his legal prowess and answered questions about his more infamous cases. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, the countdown began.

There was no one else Rafael could dream of sharing a midnight kiss with. He stepped closer to Sonny, reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Finally the countdown reached one. “Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year,” Sonny whispered before he leaned down, his breath was warm against the prosecutor’s lips.

It was Rafael who reached up and pulled the blond towards him, capturing the younger man’s perfect lips with his own. For a moment it felt as though they were the only two people in the room, just Rafael and Sonny. When Rafael eventually broke away Sonny pressed another quick kiss to the prosecutor’s mouth, a smile teased at the blond’s lips.

“Let me get you another drink,” Sonny began before his eyes grew wide and panicked. “We need to go.”

“Why?”

“See that brunette over there?” Rafael followed Sonny’s gaze to a familiar face he never thought he’d see again, James. “That ass tried to feel me up when I was trying to study at a restaurant after testifying in court.”

Rafael couldn’t help but wonder if Sonny was the man he had seen James curled up with at Forlini’s, if he was one of the reasons behind the prosecutor’s stay in Staten Island. Instead of asking him Rafael forced a smile and nodded at the detective.

A look of relief briefly crossed the detective’s face before he grabbed Rafael by the hand, dragged him down the stairs and out the front of the apartment. It was freezing cold outside, flakes of snow danced through the air before disappearing as they landed on their shoulders.

Once more the detective pulled the prosecutor towards him and drew him into a kiss. When the broke apart Sonny’s hand remained on the back of Rafael’s head. The blond looked happy, a goofy smile plastered across his face.

“So,” Sonny chuckled as he toyed with a piece of hair behind Rafael’s ear. “What happens now?”

“What happens now?” Rafael repeated back, the words sticking in his mouth.

Before him stood a man, a beautiful, charming, intelligent, surprisingly funny, man. Sonny Carisi deserved more than to be someone who was old and bitter before his time.

“I’m not interested in pursuing a relationship at this time,” Rafael said coldly.

“I thought-”

“I told you that from the start,” he finished quietly.

“Haven’t things changed though?” The detective asked weakly.

“Sonny,” Rafael could feel his heart ache as he said the words. “You deserve more than a man ten years your senior who is nursing a broken heart.”

Rafael dropped the younger man’s hand and turned to walk away. He ignored the detectives shouts, letting them fade into the background as he pulled out his phone to organise a Lyft. As he stood and waited he fought back a burning sensation in his throat, even though his heart disagreed he knew he had made the right choice.

—

Just as she had done several weeks prior, Gina waited at Central for Rafael to arrive. She was finally ready, and though she was sad to say goodbye to Manhattan and Alfred, she was excited for her future. Excited to return to work, to see her students, to educate young minds and of course, excited to move on.

When she spotted the familiar crop of perfectly groomed hair from across the room. She waved him over and flashed a smile as he made his way to her.

“Rafael,” she said smoothly and offered her hand.

He shook it firmly, “Gina.”

“Your keys,” Gina said pressing them into his hand.

He did the same with hers. “And yours.”

“I had a wonderful time in Manhattan.”

“I’m glad-“

“I heard you had fun too,” she couldn’t help the wicked smirk that twitched at her mouth. “With my baby brother.”

“Gina-”

“I cannot believe you defiled my baby brother in my bed,” she prodded.

Of course a smirk appeared on the prosecutor’s face. “Technically he was the one defiling me.”

“Well that was mature,” Gina choked back a laugh.

“Don’t worry,” the prosecutor sighed after a beat. “It’s not as though we’ll be seeing each other again.”

“Why not?”

“I told him from the beginning that I wasn’t looking for something serious,” Rafael scowled.

“Uh huh.”

“He deserves more than to be someone’s rebound,” he continued quietly. “It’s better this way.”

Gina doubted that, she had seen the way the two of them had interacted over Christmas. The fleeting glances at one another, the way they flirted, and of course the kiss they shared at the end of the night.

“It was wonderful to see you again Rafael,” Gina chuckled as the man rolled his eyes.

He may not agree, but Gina knew her younger brother and if Sonny Carisi wanted Rafael in his life the man was a fool to delay the inevitable. Yes, Gina knew she would be seeing the prosecutor again, sooner rather than later.

—

After staying in a cottage that had a third of the floor space of his own home Rafael’s apartment felt cold, large, and lonely. As he unpacked his suits and ordered his dinner he tried to concentrate on his work, What trials were coming up and how many plea deals he could try to push.

Yet why did his thoughts keep returning to a blond detective with eyes like sapphires and a soft smile that had caused his stomach to flutter. He regretted being so short with the younger man, but he knew he did the right thing.

He walked over to his drinks cabinet, opened the glass doors and pulled out a bottle Macallan 12 year, just like he had weeks ago. Rafael poured himself two fingers he made his way to the couch and sat down. He fought back a sigh before he raised his glass in a silent toast to Sonny and the future he had denied himself.

—

Gina had spent the last few hours on the sofa snuggled up to her dog with a book and a very nice glass of wine, courtesy of her house guest. As the hour grew late and she had begun to contemplate heading to bed there was a loud knock at the door.

She rose up off the couch ignoring Douglas’ whine of protest and walked towards the door. She glanced through the peephole, surprised at who was on the other side. “Robert?”

“Gina please let me in,” the man pleaded.

Gina opened the door and gestured for the man to follow. “I don’t understand-”

“It’s simple really,” Robert said warmly as he stepped closer to her. “I missed you.”

“Missed me?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

He reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. “I haven’t heard from you in weeks, it’s been driving me crazy.”

“Robert I-”

“I don’t want to lose you, babe,” His smile was soft, his gaze was filled with love, a look Gina never expected to be directed at her again. “You know what I was thinking? We sneak off together somewhere, Boston, LA, Vegas? We’ve always had fun together.”

“Do you mean that?” She couldn’t believe what she was heading.

“Of course. I-”

Gina was sceptical. “Are you even free to do that?”

“I’ve been waiting here for hours to see you,” Robert sounded wounded.

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question,” Gina smacked his hand away from her. “Did you break your engagement? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

“I’m confused, aren’t you happy I’m here?” He scoffed.

“Are you still engaged?” She already knew the answer.

“Well-”

“Just wow,” she groaned. “I never thought I’d say this, literally never, but you were right. It was never ever going to work out between us.”

“You can’t mean that-”

A breathy laugh escaped. “The great thing is I actually do.”

“Gina-”

“I’m several years late saying this but you have never treated me right. Ever.” Her voice grew more confident with every syllable she uttered.

“Oh Babe-”

“You broke my heart and you acted as though it was my fault,” Gina let years of pent up rage loose. “I was too in love with you to actually be mad, so I just punished myself. For years and years I waited, and you kept destroying me. Little by little, piece by piece. And now you’re telling me that you don’t want to lose me when you’re about to get married?”

“Gina, please.”

“It’s over Robert,” Gina felt all the stress, the resentment, just vanish. She felt euphoric. “This twisted, toxic thing between us? Is finally finished.”

“What has gotten into you?” He scoffed.

“The knowledge that I am finally going to start living,” She shoved him out the door. “Goodbye Robert.”

There was a certain satisfaction to be had from slamming the door in his face. The only thing that disappointed Gina is that she hadn’t done it sooner.

—

 

_Ten Months Later_

 

Sonny Carisi always believed in love.

As a boy he watched the easy back and forth between his parents, how happy they were together, how in love they were, and he knew he wanted that for himself. As he started to meet people, fall in and out of love, he decided he didn’t want to settle. He wanted the same love his parents had.

Then he fell into Rafael Barba’s life and Sonny knew the man was it for him.

Unfortunately Rafael hadn’t agreed.

Sonny was a patient man though, he studied hard and as soon as there was a position available in Staten Island SVU he transferred there. Then to Brooklyn. Then to Queens. Then a week later he finally transferred into Manhattan SVU.

His first day was rocky, disappointing. Rather than impress his squad with his legal knowledge, he had managed to set them on edge. He still held out hope that everything would be fine when Rafael walked through the precinct doors. Several days later he finally saw a glimpse of the man who had occupied his thoughts for months.

The prosecutor was as imposing as Sonny remembered, dressed sharply in a navy suit and patterned tie, the detective couldn’t help but stare. He watched as Rafael greeted the sergeant with a cocky smirk and a nod, Sonny tried to concentrate on his work but he couldn’t. He took a deep breath, stood up from his desk and made his way over to where the prosecutor was in deep conversation.

“Barba, let me introduce our newest squad member,” Benson was the first to notice Sonny. “Detective Carisi.”

Sonny watched the prosecutor, wincing as the older man tensed up. As Rafael slowly turned around and Sonny caught a glimpse of shock in familiar startling green eyes, the detective began to doubt himself. But only for a moment.

The smile that slowly crept across the prosecutors face made Sonny’s stomach flutter, in that moment he knew that everything was going to be okay. He flashed a smile in return and offered his hand.

“Call me Sonny.”

 


End file.
